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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mate — a friend
  8. current — electric
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — happening now
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wound — an injury
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mate — to breed
  20. charge — in control
  21. prune — to trim
  22. current — of water
  23. row — to paddle
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com